Sunset
by Pyralis Anacreon
Summary: Later, Hermione will hear from all their friends that the same thing happened to them: he came, he was vibrant and excited, they made plans for some nameless future date and then he was gone. He didn't fade away.


Sunset

* * *

><p>When she gathers it all together later, Hermione will see that she is in the middle of Harry's list. There doesn't seem to be any order in it, other than his own whim. She thinks she probably doesn't even know about all the people he went to see.<p>

What she does know is that it took her far too long to figure it out.

* * *

><p>He shows up at her doorstep early on Sunday morning, grinning vibrantly and holding a backpack slung over his shoulder. He doesn't look like he's been sleeping enough, but other than that he's a healthy twenty-something, like her.<p>

Hermione steps aside and invites him in for breakfast.

Over eggs and toast and coffee, Harry tells her about where he's been: traveling the world, seeing the sights. He was in China two weeks ago, they've lovely tea there but nothing's better than an English brew. Harry thinks Charlie would love the Chinese dragons, so brightly colored and magnificent. Just yesterday Harry saw a sunset in the Alps, and it was beautiful, he wishes Hermione had been able to see it.

Hermione sits back and lets the chatter wear itself out. Eventually he moves on to their friends, a topic that is at best touchy.

"How's Ginny?" Harry asks.

"She likes to think she's way over you," Hermione tells him. "And she's dating Dean again. I think this time it might stick, but first she's got to get rid of that ridiculous crush."

"Stop, my head'll get big," Harry says, eyes twinkling like his old mentor's. "But really, she knows it's over. It was a bad idea to begin with."

"And because I know you're going to ask, I haven't seen Ron in weeks." Hermione says pointedly.

"Hey, I wasn't going to say anything. What're you two fighting about this time?"

"He's holding on to the archaic idea that I'm going to be a housewife and raise a brood of ninety, like his mum." Hermione says. "I'm having one, maybe two, and I'm going to work. He's got to accept that before we do anything else."

"No argument here, but give the guy a chance to get over his entire life's expectations, you know? He was raised that way. You can start blaming him if and when he decides that it's you who's wrong, not him." Harry says reasonably.

Hermione smiles a little. "You always know what to do, Harry."

"Only when it comes to other people's lives," he says, grinning.

* * *

><p>Two days later she gets a fire-call from Ron, who admits to being an idiot, and asks if she's tired of him yet or can he come back, please, his mum's trying to kill him with food.<p>

Hermione's chest feels warm and full. Her heart's beating fast. "Of course you can come home, you idiot," she says. "What made you finally come around?"

"Oh, Harry paid us a visit and gave me some advice."

_That was nice of him_, Hermione thinks.

* * *

><p>And the day after that, she gets a fire-call from Ginny.<p>

"Have you seen Harry lately?" Ginny asks. "He looks like shite."

"Ginny!" Hermione exclaims. "I get that you're mad at him but - "

"No, not like that. I mean he looks like he hasn't slept in a week and he's pale as Nearly-Headless Nick. Is he sick?"

Hermione frowns. He hadn't looked so bad to her, four days ago.

* * *

><p>When Draco Malfoy knocks on her door, Hermione knows something's wrong.<p>

"I wouldn't be here if it weren't serious," Draco begins without letting her ask what the hell he thinks he's doing. "But Luna and I just got a visit from Potter, and you're the expert on all things to do with the scarred nutter, so it's to you that I say _what the hell_?"

"Harry came to see _you_?" Hermione says. "What did he say?"

"Well, after Luna just let him invade our house he started babbling about a sunset in the Alps, China, and a South American Quetzalcoatl loose in an American zoo."

"And then?" Hermione asks.

"I don't know, he said goodbye and left. Has he finally gone around the bend?"

"Maybe," Hermione mutters.

* * *

><p>When she goes for her weekly guest lecture for the Muggle Studies classes at Hogwarts, Hermione runs into Snape in the halls.<p>

"Watch it, Granger," the sour man snaps. He steps back and to the side, and double takes at her.

Hermione knows - she didn't get a lot of sleep until two last night, then slept in and didn't have enough time to get ready. She looks horrible.

"You look almost as bad as Potter," Snape says, and starts walking away.

"Wait!" Hermione calls. "You've seen him?"

Snape grunts an affirmative. "He felt the need to _visit_ me a couple days ago. Now if you don't mind I've got a potion on the boil that needs stirring in exactly twelve minutes."

* * *

><p>And later, after her lectures, she goes up the Headmistress's tower to have tea with Headmistress McGonagall. They talk about their mutual acquaintances and McGonagall tries to persuade her to teach at Hogwarts, and as always Hermione refuses.<p>

"I tried to get Potter for Defense again just the other day." McGonagall says wryly. "He wasn't looking too healthy, I told him to see Poppy on his way out. He refused again."

Hermione smiles tightly. "Yes, he seems to be everywhere nowadays, when just a month ago I couldn't have even told you whether or not he was in Europe."

* * *

><p>Picking up some herbs from Neville's greenhouse, Hermione recognizes something hanging on Neville's wall.<p>

"Hey," she says, going over to it. "That's Harry's."

Neville comes up behind her. "Yeah, I was really surprised when he gave it to me. Came to see me yesterday and just pulled it out of his bag and gave it to me. Said that it was only right, since it could've been me who actually had to wield it at the end."

Neville reaches out a finger and brushes it along the edge of Gryffindor's Sword.

"I never thought he'd give this up." Hermione murmurs, feeling suddenly cold.

* * *

><p>Andromeda fire-calls her the next evening, and says "You'd better get over here, fast."<p>

Seconds later, Hermione's there.

* * *

><p>"His Cloak, his Ring, that old Snitch." Andromeda spreads the objects out in front of her and Hermione. The Cloak shimmers silver in the light. Hermione touches the familiar material and thinks it looks so much smaller now than it did when they were kids. "He wants Teddy to have all of them. What is he thinking?"<p>

Hermione thinks she knows, and hopes she's wrong. She's known since she bumped into Snape at Hogwarts, maybe since Draco knocked on her door. Harry's been all around lately. Saying his goodbyes.

And she knows there's one left yet that he still has to make. She knows where she's going to find him.

* * *

><p>Dumbledore's grave is flowering lurid orange and purple. The headstone almost glows, the words on it shine. Harry's sitting in front of it. He stops talking when she gets close enough to hear.<p>

"I knew you'd be the one to figure it out," Harry says, head down, not turning around to look at her.

"Why are you saying goodbye to everyone, Harry?" Hermione asks.

"Because I don't like unfinished business."

"This is life. It's all unfinished business. Nothing's ever done."

"Not until you die, at least," Harry says with misplaced humor. "Sorry, guess that's a little out of line."

"What is it?"

"Poison, from the final battle. Got word from the healers at Mungo's a week ago. I've got one more day."

"And how were you thinking of spending that day?" Hermione asks. She will not cry. He's not dead yet.

Harry smiles and finally looks at her. "I'm thinking, breakfast in Paris. A picnic in China's best gardens. A flight over all of London on a magic carpet. And then sunset in the Alps. It's gonna be beautiful."

"I can't stop you," Hermione says.

"I know."

"And there isn't anything that can be done."

"No. This is it."

"You're an idiot." she says, wiping the tears off her face.

He smiles again. "I know. But I've said all my goodbyes. Things are as settled as they'll ever be. I'm ready to go - and I'm not afraid. I know what's waiting for me on the other side. The next great adventure."

"I'll meet you there." Hermione says.

"I promise, I'll be the first face you see. But I don't want to see you again for a very long time," Harry says. He comes up and wipes the tears away for her. "For now you'll have a good long life here, and when we meet again it can be like old times. Solving mysteries, hunting clues, having fun. Maybe I'll even show you what a sunset in the Alps looks like."

"I bet it's beautiful," Hermione says.

"It is," Harry kisses her forehead, brushing back her frizzy hair. "It makes you feel so small. Things stop mattering for a while. And you can be at peace."

"Goodbye," Hermione says.

"Until we meet again," Harry says.

"Across the veil."


End file.
